Cancer has become the top cause of death of Japanese for many years, accounting for about one-third of total deaths estimated in 2007. In the world, about 13% of deaths in 2005 were attributed to cancer, previously reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Deaths by cancer are increasing continuously, and it is estimated that in 2030, 11,400,000 people worldwide will die due to cancer in a year.
Meanwhile, the progress in diagnosis and treatment of cancer is remarkable. In particular, when the relevant treatment can be initiated at a very early stage of the cancer, five-year survival rate quite often exceeds 90%. In addition, it is a current common sense that particularly in the case of elderly, even if their cancer is not completely cured, they can live out their lives if progress or metastasis of cancer can be suppressed.
The human genomic project, completed in 2003, and similar projects have accelerated gene-level or protein-molecule-level research of cancer and application of the results to diagnosis and treatment of cancer. As a result, various techniques supporting medical science and biology have been further developed, and methods in relation to early stage diagnosis and treatment of cancer have rapidly progressed.
Long ago, cancer notification was almost equivalent to “a death sentence,” and thus notification of cancer to the patient was considered taboo. However, Japan's “Cancer Control Act” enforced in 2007 requests cancer patients and other interested parties to be actively involved in cancer control.
Under such circumstances, continuous efforts are currently made toward development of cancer therapeutic and diagnostic methods from a wider variety of aspects.